


Warriors for Teens

by MageWolf



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Blood and Gore, LGBTQ Character, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2019-10-24 01:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17694935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageWolf/pseuds/MageWolf
Summary: Deep in the woods lies four clans, all of which are in turmoil. When a street cat named Rusty joins ThunderClan, the clan of the woods, he fights to protect them from the treacherous Brokenstar, leader of RiverClan. But what he may not know is that the real threat lies much closer to home...





	1. Chapter one

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader: Bluestar- Stocky gray molly with bright amber eyes

Apprentice: Fernpaw

Deputy: Redtail- Cinnamon tom with white feet and a white muzzle, hazel eyes

Apprentice: Dustpaw

Healers: Spottedleaf- delicate calico molly with pale green eyes.

Warriors: Lionheart- Large, thick furred golden tom with dark green eyes

Apprentice: Graypaw

Goldenflower- Thick furred golden molly with amber eyes

Tigerclaw- Huge black tabby tom with pale amber eyes and nicked ears

Apprentice: Firepaw

Whitepool- White tom with pale gray patches and yellow eyes

Apprentice: Ashpaw

Rosetail- Ginger molly with a white chest and amber eyes

Apprentice: Heathpaw

Darkstripe- Dark gray tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

Longtail- Black tabby tom with a pale undercoat and brown eyes

Rookleap(Runningwind)- Pale lilac tabby tom with yellow eyes

Mousefur- Pale lilac molly with dark green eyes

Apprentices: Fernpaw- Pale gray spotted tabby molly with hazel eyes

Ashpaw- Dark gray spotted tabby tom with brown eyes

Dustpaw- Dark brown tom with dark amber eyes

Graypaw- Gray classic tabby tom with yellow eyes

Ravenpaw- Black tom with a white chest, tail tip, and green eyes

Heathpaw- Cinnamon and white tom with hazel eyes

Rustpaw- Ginger tabby tom with dark green eyes

Queens: Frostfoot- Black molly with white feet and amber eyes. Expecting Lionheart's kits

Brindleface- Dilute tortoiseshell molly with bright green eyes. Expecting Redtail's kits

Elders: Smallear- Gray tom with nicked ears and yellow eyes

Sparrowpelt- Dark brown tom with yellow eyes

Whiteeye- Pale gray molly with one blind eye, other eye is yellow

...

RiverClan

Leader: Brokenstar- Ginger tabby tom with dark green eyes

Deputy: Leopardfur- Spotted golden molly with pale yellow eyes

Healer: Mudfur- Dark brown tom with a white tail tip

Warriors:

Stormheart(Crookedstar)- Dark gray tabby tom with a twisted jaw and green eyes

Oakfang(Oakheart)- Cinnamon tom with dark amber eyes

Ottereye- Dark brown and white tom with pale green eyes

Greenflower- dark brown tabby molly with green eyes

Carpclaw- Cream tom with hazel eyes

Stonefur- Dark gray tom with dark Amber eyes

Apprentice: Silverpaw

Mistyfoot- Pale gray molly with sea green eyes

Blackclaw- Black tom with yellow eyes

Whitefang- White tom with a black tail

Apprentices: Silverpaw- Silver tabby molly with pale green eyes

Elders: Graypool- Dark gray molly with a pale underbelly

...

ShadowClan

Leader: Rownstar- Dark ginger molly with amber eyes

Deputy: Blackpelt(Blackfoot)- Black tom with white paws

Healer: Fognose- Pale gray and white tom with pale yellow eyes

...

WindClan

Leader: Tallstar- Tall black and white tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Hopfoot- Black tom with pale amber eyes and a twisted foot

Healer: Barkface- Dark brown tom with amber eyes

Warriors: Mudclaw- Pale brown tom with glowing yellow eyes

Ashfoot- Lilac molly with green eyes

Grayear(Tornear)- Gray tom with tattered ears

Apprentices:

Wrenpaw(Onewhisker)- Pale brown tabby tom with dark green eyes

Webpaw- Blue gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

 

...

It was a nice night. The windward blowing, the moon glowing, and the Rumble-Paws were quiet. Yes, it was nice and quiet.

 

But Rusty knew better. He was not lulled by the seemingly silent Thunder-Paths. He knew it wasn't safe.

 

The tiny tom kitten carefully crept along an alleyway, his pawsteps steady and careful. His eyes darted about, and his tail twitched and lashed like an anxious snake.

 

He padded behind a garbage can, careful not to make a sound. Then, pawsteps. They were confident, much unlike the rust colored tom kitten. And though he hoped it was just a passing alley cat, the pawsteps were heading his way.

 

'Great. Just wonderful…' He thought bitterly.

 

There was no point in hiding, so he stepped out coming face to face with a burly white tom, a scarred molly, and a young tortoiseshell.

 

"Well, Rusty." The white one said in a gruff voice, "Where's your prey?".

 

"Right here, Bone." He carefully spoke, trying to hold back from insulting him. Now that would get him into trouble. He trotted off to the garbage can, digging up a fat Squeak-Climb he found earlier that day.

 

Dragging the Squeaker by the tail, he gazed up, and saw all three smirk.

 

"You think that'll be enough?" The molly snickered.

 

Rusty looked up, a thousand call outs running through his head.

 

"I would've caught more, but the birds told me I'd be wasting my time.".

 

The tortoiseshell narrowed her eyes.

 

"Is that a challenge?" She spoke with icy calmness, as if she didn't care about her own death.

 

"Depends." Rusty bantered on, "Depends on of I mean that I need to feed myself, or I'd be feeding a bunch of lazy meatheads!".

 

Bone growled and slammed him down by the chest, growling.

 

"Shut your mouth, kitten!" He snarled, before flicking an ear. The scarred one came forward, clamping her jaws around the squirrel.

 

Bone sneered at Rusty, who was struggling beneath him.

 

"You're very, very fortunate, my friend." He chuckled loftily, "Scourge has been in a forgiving mood lately.".

 

His sneer then morphed into a glower.

 

"Oh, but if you run your mouth off like that again, you won't be so lucky!".

 

He then bounded away, clearly showing off his sleek muscles that rippled beneath his glossy coat, much unlike the skinny and underfed frame of Rusty. The scarred molly and the tortoiseshell followed, leaving him all alone.

 

He scowled and muttered under his breath, "I'll show them all one day. BloodClan won't continue this for long!".

 

Through and through Rusty was a street cat. Raised in a litter of five and abandoned at an early age with his sister, they had been sworn to BloodClan since they were able to hunt. Luckily, his sister had been adopted by the Two-Legs, but couln't see the scraggy kitten in the bushes. It was a shame, BloodClan never targeted den cats.

 

Now, Rusty was all alone, with few he could trust with certainty. It was cold and hungry life on the streets, full of BloodClan members, Big-Barks, Two-Legs, and Screech-Glides.

 

Rusty trotted to a Tall-Wood, white and glossy under the moonlight. He leaped up, intent on hunting in his friend Smudge's yard. The fat tom never seemed to mind when he caught a couple mice.

 

Carefully balancing on the top, he trotted along, until he found that familiar stretch of ground, the Oak Tree and Chirp-Jump water dish in the same place as before.

 

Leaping down, he sniffed the air, sifting through the myriad of scents to find the warmth of prey.

 

There was nothing. Rusty drooped like a wilted flower, before an idea came to mind.

 

'Maybe the forest has something.'

 

"Rusty? Is that you?".

 

Lifting his gaze, the ginger tom kitten saw Smudge squeezing out of the cat flap, his fat belly as round as ever.

 

"Hey Smudge!" The ginger prom greeted, his mood brightening signiffcantly. His tail was high in the air as he greeted his friend with a gentle head bump.

 

"I haven't seen you in Moon-Cycles!" The black and tom cried, his soft yellow eyes scrunched in sadness.

 

Rusty sighed, saying "Well Smudge, I was trying to save the skin on my hide from a bunch of Chirp-Jump Whisperers!".

 

Smudge barely seemed to ackonowlage this, instead licking a forepaw and drawing it over his ear in thought.

 

"You know," He meowed, "I've seen you looking over at the forest lately.".

 

Rusty rolled his green orbs in annoyance.

 

"Yes, please. Tell me again of the wild cats who chew up bones of den cats and put fox fur in their nests.".

 

"Rusty! I'm being serious! You've heard all the stories!".

 

"That it, their nothing but stories!" He huffed, leaping onto the fence.

 

"They wouldn't be lying it weren't true!".

 

"I'll only be there for a minute, Smudge!".

 

He bounded off before he could say anything else.

 

Over the between the forest and the Tall-Fences his paws flew, his heart a flutter with excitement.

 

Once his was between the trees, he took a look around, and fell in love.

 

Tall and dark trees rose up from the ground, creating pillars of wood, while underneath them were dark green bushes, their leafs of all shapes and sizes.

 

The dew was already weighed on the grass, making it twinkle in the moonlight. Puddle form last night's rain had also formed, cooling his toes and soothing his cracked pads.

 

And all around was the scent of prey, so much prey. Rusty felt as if he was in heaven.

 

He managed to single out one scent, one that wasn't too far from where he was standing. Dropping into a crouch, the ginger tom cat stalked forward, trying not to disturb a single leaf.

 

Finally, he caught sight of the prey, a small Squeak-Scurry, it's nose twitching with nervous energy. It's eyes were darting around, on the lookout for predators.

 

Rusty's ears perked in excitement. It was nearly in pouncing distance.

 

He dropped into a crouch, belly barely touching the ground. His pawsteps were slow and careful as he pulled himself forward.

 

But just before he could leap and kill the rodent in one swift bite, there was a rustle from the bushes. The Squeak-Scurry looked up, fear in its eyes, before scurrying away.

 

The ginger tom cat growled and was about to give chase, when he felt needle sharp teeth dig into his scruff and pull him backward


	2. Chapter two

Screeching and yowling, Rusty kicked and squirmed, desperately trying the fight his attacker.

 

It was to no avail, as the attacker just kept going, seemingly uncaring of the struggling victim. The ginger tom cat snarled, before placing well aimed blow on the cat's nose.

 

It screeched, stumbling back and letting go of his scruff. He took this opportunity immediately, springing up and twirling around, hissing in anger.

 

His kidnapper was a youthful tom kitten about his age, though was much bigger and with thick, gray fur, which was broken up with darker stripes.

 

The tom cat drew a paw over his bleeding nose repeatedly, and once the wound scabbed over, he looked at Rusty.

 

"You didn't…" He trailed off, "You didn't have to do that…".

 

"You were gonna kill me!" Rusty snarled, tail bushed.

 

There was an awkward silence long time, then the tom started to chortle with laughter.

 

"I wasn't gonna kill you!" He snorted, "I just need to bring you to ThunderClan!".

 

"Thunderwhat?".

 

"ThunderClan! It's where I live!".

 

"Is that a new Twoleg-Place?".

 

He raised a brow in confusion, before asking "Have you never heard of the clans before?".

 

"Uuuh…".

 

The gray tom sighed and sat on his haunches heavily, before saying "Fine, I'll tell you about them. ThunderClan is where I live, in a big forest with Squeakers and Chirp-Jumps. The other three, WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan, all live in their respective territories. We fight all the time, but it's our culture and family and friends that keep us going.".

 

Rusty cocked his head in interest.

 

"What's your name?" He finally asked. The gray tom kitten looked a bit surprised, but quickly stood up, his chest puffed out.

 

"I'm Graypaw." He spoke with mock dignity, "And I'm training to be the best warrior of ThunderClan.".

 

The ginger tom cat smirked.

 

"Would you fight them, or talk them to death?" He jested.

 

Graypaw started to chuckle, which echoed along the quiet forest. His tail high in the air, waving with good will.

 

"No, I'm only talking to you because of my job.".

 

That caught Rusty's attention. His eyes squinted, and he asked "What's that?".

 

"To fetch you!" Graypaw informed, "ThunderClan needs new warriors! Bluestar- She's my leader- is looking for capable paws!".

 

Rusty's head turned back towards the fence. If he went with this stranger, then he would never see Smudge again, and maybe never get to find his sister.

 

But if he went, then he would be escaping BloodClan and their hold over the city. If they came for him, he would have the support of this 'ThunderClan'

 

It was at that moment when he made his decision.

 

"I would like to come." He said this clear and strong, though was already wondering if this truly was the best choice. He was going the live with a strange new group, with cats he barely even knew!

 

"Great! Follow me!" He was jerked out of his thought when Graypaw dove in the bushes, his paws thundering against the ground. Rusty followed suit, his legs seemingly working against his brain.

 

Through the brush the went, dodging bushes, leaping over logs, and ducking under overhanging ivy.

 

It was tiresome. Though he had fled many fights, he had never ran this fast for so long before!

 

It felt like a lifetime had passed before Graypaw finally stopped outside of a wall of thorns and brambles. The gray tom turned around the face Rusty, who was heaving with each breath.

 

"This is the entrance to ThinderClan's camp." He explained, seemingly unfazed by the long run, "Here is where we grow up, eat, and sleep.".

 

Rusty sucked in another few gulps of air before Graypaw vanished into a tunnel buried into the bushes. Rusty followed, uncertainty filling his heart.

 

The thorns brushed up against his pelt, almost as if they were warning him to turn back.

 

When he saw the other side, though, he was in awe. The camp was placed in a well hidden ravine, trees blocking most of the sky. On the edges were bushes and logs and burrows, all with cats coming in and out of them, most of which were staring at Rusty. In a narrow crevice, was a hole that extended into a ledge, which gave the owner of the den a bird's eye view of camp.

 

But, his wonder was interrupted when a pale tom with darker stripes stalked up to him, tail lashing and hazel eyes narrowed.

 

"Another one?!" He growled, "StarClan, no! We've already have enough!".

 

"How many like me are there?" Rusty asked, but instead of an answer, he was bowled over by the tabby, whose lip were peeling back into a snarl. He felt claws score his cheek, and he looked up with astonishment.

 

"That doesn't matter!" The tabby hissed, "All that I care about is ending this!".


	3. Chapter three

The tabby placed his claws on Rusty's throat, smirking, which sparked Rusty's ire. The striped cat dug his claws in deeper, ready to tear the throat out, when the ginger tom kitten tracked his back claws over his stomach, surprising the tabby long enough for him the leap up and deal an offense of his own.

 

The tom kitten bit down on the pale tabby's ear, ripping it in half, his fore claws digging into the shoulders.

 

The tabby yowled in pain as he thrashed wildly. His claws finally clawed the space between Rusty's eyes, to which the ginger cat let go.

 

The tabby seized this opportunity and unleashed a storm of claws and teeth, to which the tom kitten responded with his own attack.

 

Finally, the toms broke apart, panting and hissing. But before they could launch at one another again, a voice that was female and very steady rang out:

 

"That's enough, Longtail.".

 

Rusty whipped his head to the ledge, and on it stood a stocky molly, her dark gray fur turned silver in the moonlight.

 

"Longtail, who is this?" She asked.

 

"I don't know! Graypaw brought him in!".

 

The molly narrowed her eyes.

 

"A new recruit, mm?" She spoke with calmness, though there was an icy edge to it. "I've informed the whole clan not to attack them, as they are not intruders, and you have disobeyed me.".

 

Longtail flattened his ears and snarled "Bluestar, they're ruining our clan! Moonmother would never approve of this!".

 

"For disobeying me and attacking our recruit," She continued on as if he didn't even speak, "You will go the rest of the night without any prey.".

 

Longtail's jaw dropped, but with one glare from his leader he hurried to one of the burrows and stepped inside. Rusty made a mental note to never try one of his remarks on her.

 

"Come here, newcomer." Bluestar called, to which Rusty obeyed and stepped forward.

 

"What's your name?".

 

"Rusty.".

 

"Interesting name." Bluestar yawned, . "Would you like to join our clan?".

 

"Yes please.".

 

"And why?".

 

Rusty had to clench his teeth to not make a sarcastic retort.

 

"Well," He began, "I grew up all my life on the Thunder-Paths. I was abandoned on the streets, before having to give a meathead group named BloodClan half of my prey. I couldn't trust anyone, and I had to look out for Big-Barks and BloodClan, among others.".

 

The ginger tom kitten paused, looking at the curious and sympathetic faces of the clan, before he continued.

 

"When I met Graypaw, I was hunting the woods, seeing if they had anything to offer. When I learned of ThunderClan, it sounded much better than the Twoleg-Place, and I wanted to… Uh… Contribute? Is that the word?.".

 

"Hmmm.". Bluestar tilted her head in thought, her eyes studying the stars.

 

"You realize the dangers that the woods have to offer, correct?" She said suddenly, to which Rusty nodded.

 

"Good, good.". She righted herself, curled her tail around her paws, and looked back down at the ginger tom cat.

 

"Then I name you Firepaw, in honor of your coat.".

 

'That's not a bad name.' Rusty- No- Firepaw, thought.

 

"I believe Tigerclaw would be a fitting mentor. He has shown himself to be strong and courageous. Pass on everything you know to young Firepaw.".

 

A dark brown tom, one as large as two foxes stacking on top of each other, stepped forward. The ginger tom cat was in awe of the size of this cat, and took a few steps towards him. Tigerclaw bent down to touch his nose to Firepaw's, he pale eyes gazing into his.

 

When they broke apart, Bluestar nodded. "Meeting dismissed." She said, leaping down from the ledge.

 

"Young Firepaw, it's very nice to meet you." Tigerclaw greeted in a gruff voice, his nicked ears twitching, "I believe we should see the territory first.".

 

"Okay.".

 

Tigerclaw trotted to the tunnel without another words, and before Firepaw had time to process it, his mentor's tail whisked through exit.

 

Once he realized this, the ginger tom cat stood up and dashed to the tunnel, unwilling to be left behind.

 

'So far everything's going good.' Firepaw thought with pleasure. 'They all seem nice enough. For apparent bone eaters.'


	4. Chapter four

When he and Graypaw were running, Firepaw wasn't able to catch more than a glimpse of the forest. But now that he was supposed to take everything, it seemed almost breathtaking.

 

Deeper in the forest, the trees were even taller, stark against the moonlight. Moss and leaves littered the forest floor, and bushes, ferns, and the odd flower grew.

 

The moonlight shone down on several place, creating a pattern of outlined leaves on the ground. As well as that, Firepaw could smell the prey again, and though he was tempted to slack behind and catch something, Tigerclaw's brisk pace kept him going.

 

Their first destination was a pile of rocks, a few paces outside of the protection of the forest.

 

"And here is our first stop." Tigerclaw explained, padding closer. As soon as Firepaw stepped closer, the scent of damp fur and fish clogged his nostrils, making him sneeze in surprise.

 

It was also that he hadn't even noticed how comforting ThunderClan's scent had become until now. It was all he could think about to stop himself from gagging.

 

"This is Sunningrocks." Tigerclaw calmly explained, "ThunderClan and RiverClan have been fighting over it since Forestclaw placed it here.".

 

Firepaw tilted his head.

 

"Who's Forestclaw?" He asked.

 

"I'm sure the elders and your fellow apprentices will see that you know later. For now, we must focus on the territory.".

 

Firepaw opened his mouth to persist, but one glance from his mentor was enough to shut him up.

 

They traveled North-word, until they arrived at a sandy clearing.

 

"Here is the Sandy Hollow. Apprentices of ThunderClan normally practice battle moves here, so that the sand doesn't hurt them when they fall over.".

 

The ginger tom cat nodded slightly, though he had to keep going when his mentor dashed off again.

 

Finally, they reached something at least somewhat familiar to the new apprentice, a Thunder-Path.

 

But before he could have time blink, a Rumble-Paw raced by so quickly it blew Firepaw's fur backwards.

 

"I'm sure you've encountered many of these, Firepaw." Tigerclaw spoke, his eyes turning to his apprentice.

 

"Yeah, but they were a lot slower!" Firepaw explained, and huffed when Tigerclaw was off again.

 

'Give me strength!'

 

He hauled himself to his paws and raced after his mentor, call outs about the fast pace the dark tabby was running at already circling through his head.

 

…

 

It was sunrise when they finally reached camp. By then, Firepaw was dead on his paws. Though, not wanting to look weak in front of strangers, he still dipped his head respectfully whenever someone greeted him or waved their tail.

 

Finally, Tigerclaw seemed to get the hint he was exhausted, for he pulled the apprentice close and whispered "Over there is the apprentice's den.". He gestured with his ear to a clump of brambles, and continued.

 

"You and the other apprentices sleep there. Now, good dreaming, and I expect you to be up when the moon rises.".

 

Firepaw nodded numbly, before stumbling to the den. Almost as soon as he entered, he saw four cats, one Graypaw, and the rest unfamiliar.

 

Graypaw raised his head and beamed.

 

"Hey! How was the territory?" The gray tom asked.

 

"Fine." Firepaw simply replied, before asking "Where do I sleep?".

 

"I have room by me." A pale gray molly called, to which Firepaw immediately obliged, padded over to her and gratefully flopping onto the moss.

 

"What's your name?" The molly inquired.

 

"Firepaw.".

 

"Oh, cool! I'm Fernpaw, and the dark gray tabby is my brother, Ashpaw! And over there is-".

 

"Can I just sleep?" Firepaw grumbled, "You chatter more than a starling!".

 

Fernpaw ducked her head and licked her paw in embarrassment.

 

"Right, right, sorry.".

 

Firepaw only heard silence for the short time he was awake, and then he felt the peace of sleep grip him in it's jaws.

 

…

 

"Firepaw, Firepaw! Get up!".

 

The ginger tom cat slowly opened his eyes, only to see Graypaw standing over him, an urgent look on his face.

 

"Good! You're awake! Tigerclaw and Lionheart are waiting!".

 

Firepaw hauled himself to his feet, his jaws parting in a yawn. He then preformed his usual stretch, before grooming his whiskers into place.

 

"Who's Lionheart?" He inquired once he was finished.

 

"My mentor. He's very well respected warrior in ThunderClan.".

 

Graypaw's eyes sparkled as he leaned in.

 

"And just between you and me, the mollies think he's the handsomest!" The tom snickered.

 

Firepaw couldn't help but snort, but was on quickly his feet as a Graypaw padded out of the den.

 

Following him, the ginger tom cat couldn't see much of a difference in camp from last night, minus the friendly glances he was starting to get from a few cats.

 

He returned each of them with a nod as the two apprentices padded out of the thorn tunnel. When they stepped into the forest, it was more or less in the same state, except the moonlight was much brighter.

 

Graypaw then took off, leaving his friend in the dust.

 

"Hey!" Firepaw called, pushing off and running after the young tom.

 

When they finally arrived at the Sandy Hollow, Tigerclaw and a golden cat almost his size were already there, sitting down with tails twitching in anticipation.

 

"Took you long enough." Tigerclaw growled, "Me and Lionheart have been waiting for ages!".

 

"Well, we're young cats. We need all the sleep we can get if we're to survive in the big bad woods." the ginger tom cat remarked, earning him a flare from Lionheart.

 

"Watch your mouth, son." He rumbled, "You could get yourself killed.".

 

Firepaw mentally rolled his eyes, but externally, he simply nodded.

 

"Alright then. Today we will be practicing our hunting crouches.".

 

Lionheart nudged Tigerclaw, who dropped into a low crouch, his belly nearly touching the ground.

 

"As you can see," Lionheart explained calmly, "Tigerclaw is downwind, blowing his scent from the prey. As well as that, he's low enough to not be seen, and his haunches are where most off the weight is, so his paws can be as light as possible.".

 

Lionheart's head turned to Graypaw.

 

"Can you tell me why he must be low to the ground, Graypaw?".

 

"Because something could easily see him if he was bobbing around." The gray tom answered calmly.

 

Lionheart smirked a bit.

 

"Very good. And Firepaw," He turned to the ginger furred apprentice, "Can you tell me why your paws need to be light?".

 

"Because prey could either hear the pawsteps, or they'd feel the vibrations.".

 

Lionheart nodded and said "Very good, very good.".

 

Tigerclaw sat up, his gaze locking with Firepaw's.

 

"So then Firepaw and Graypaw, how about you try these out for yourself?".

 

The two apprentices quickly dropped into the crouch. Firepaw imagined a fat and juicy mouse in front of him, making his stomach rumble in hunger.

 

"Graypaw, you look like a duck!".

 

Firepaw looked over, curious, and almost laughed.

 

Graypaw was crouched, though his hindquarters and tail were straight up in the air, making him look indeed like a duck.

 

The gray tom sheepishly mumbled an apology, and with some critique, managed to find an alright crouch.

 

Tigerclaw walked up to his own apprentice.

 

"Don't think you're off Scot-free either. Your paws are too heavy. One step, and the prey's going to know you're after it.".

 

Firepaw felt his ears burn in embarrassment, and Graypaw himself had to hold back laughter. The ginger apprentice quickly fixed his mistake, which seemed to please Tigerclaw.

 

"Alright, now onto different types of stalking for different prey.".

 

…

 

The moon dipping towards the tree line when, after a long day of crouching down and getting corrected, the two mentors called it quits for the day. Their apprentices were very grateful, as the incessant crouching had made them quite sore.

 

As they were walking back to camp, Graypaw turned to his clanmate.

 

"So, uh, what did you think of this?".

 

"It was long, boring, tedious-". A glare from Tigerclaw had him completely change his tune, "I mean, helpful, interesting, and... uh…".

 

Graypaw snickered a bit.

 

"Well, you're not too tired to see the camp, right?".

 

Firepaw shook his head.

 

"Good!" Graypaw's tail waved in the air, "I want to show you around. I think Tigerclaw was gonna do it last night, but you looked like a wreck!".


	5. Chapter five

As they walked back to ThunderClan, Firepaw reviewed how his life was in ThunderClan as of now.

 

'Well, this Tigerclaw cat has been working me into the ground, and only Graypaw and Fernpaw have really talked to me so far, but I guess I'll get used to it. At least it's better than fighting for my life on the Thunder-Paths.'

 

"We're here.".

 

Firepaw was jerked from his thoughts when Graypaw shouldered him, before beckoning the ginger tom cat to him.

 

Firepaw followed closely as Graypaw led him to a pile of Squeakers and Chirp-Jumps, stirring up the ginger apprentice's hunger once more.

 

"We'll eat first, then start the tour. I don't think you ate today, did you?".

 

The ginger tom shook his head, to which the striped feline shot him a sympathetic glance.

 

He grasped a plump Chirp-Jump from the pile of prey and set it at the ginger tom's feet.

 

"Here's something. You must be starving!" Graypaw exclaimed, before going back to the pile to dig something up for himself.

 

Firepaw murmured a quick thanks before digging into his Chirp-Jump, sighing in delight at the fresh and meaty flavors dancing on his tongue.

 

A voice he recognized then called out, "Hey! Can we share?".

 

Both apprentices turned around to be greeted with Ashpaw and Fernpaw, both of whom were already sitting down near them.

 

"Sure!" Graypaw agreed, settling down beside Firepaw. The ginger apprentice looked at the older pair curiously.

 

"Why do you want to sit with us?" He inquired, cocking his head.

 

"Just to get to know you!" Fernpaw insisted, "You seemed too tired last night to really talk!".

 

Ashpaw then added "And we, uh, wanted to help introduce you to everyone…".

 

"Okay then!" Graypaw replied, before turning to Firepaw and asking, "You're okay with that, right?".

 

The ginger tom cat nodded.

 

"Great! Let's eat, then we'll show you around!" Fernpaw bubbled, before sinking her teeth into a Squeak-Climb.

 

An elapsed time of quiet followed, the four felines simply eating their prey for the day. Occasionally they'd bring up something, but the conversation quickly died down again to relaxed silence.

 

Then, when everyone was finished, the apprentices sat up, their bellies now full.

 

As Firepaw was cleaning his whiskers, his asked between rasps, "What's the first stop, Graypaw?".

 

The gray tom looked about, his eyes narrowed in thought. He then flicked his tail in the direction of a thick bramble bush growing on the side of the ravine wall.

 

"How about the warrior's den? That'll be where we're sleeping when our apprenticeships are over.".

 

"And where me and Fernpaw will be sleeping in a moon." Ashpaw added on.

 

Graypaw picked himself up and trotted over to the den, the three other apprentices in tow. As Firepaw looked closer, he could see the forms of a few sleeping cats, their ears and tails flicking lazily about.

 

"This is then warrior's den." Grapaw explained, "All ThunderClan warriors sleep here once they become one.".

 

Firepaw nodded as one of the warriors slowly opened an amber eye, before smiling gently at the ginger apprentice.

 

"Well Graypaw, the newcomer's being shown the warriors den?".

 

"Yes Rosetail. He hasn't seen the camp yet.".

 

She tilted her head.

 

"Strange. I would have thought he would have seen it already?" Rosetail commented.

 

"I was too tired, ma'am" The ginger tomcat explained, to which the ginger and white molly rolled her eyes.

 

"Tigerclaw always works his apprentices too hard." She snorted.

 

"You can say that again." Graypaw chuckled.

 

"Come on, you two!" Ashpaw murmured, tapping his paw impatiently, "We got a whole camp to see!".

 

"Oh! Right, sorry!" Graypaw apologized, and as he dashed away, Rosetail called out, "You kits have a good time now!".

 

'Huh. She seems pretty nice'.

 

The next den they came to was a narrow crevice, moss littering the ground outside it. The scent of pants wafted from the entrance, and the sound of someone shuffling from inside.

 

"Spottedleaf!" Fernpw called, and the shuffling quieted for a moment, before the sounds of pawsteps echoed inside.

 

"Yes?" Called a delicate voice from inside, "Has anyone have a weasel on their tail?".

 

"Er, no ma'am." Graypaw answered, "We just thought Firepaw would like to meet you.".

 

A pretty tortoiseshell, Firepaw guessed her name was Spottedleaf, poked her head out.

 

"Mm. He's the new recruit, correct?" She inquired. When the gray tom nodded wordlessly, the molly turned her eyes to meet his.

 

"Well then, hello to you young Flarepaw! Has Moonmother and Sundancer been treating you nicely?".

 

"I... my name's not Flarepaw..." The ginger tomcat corrected, leaving the tortoiseshell to shake her head in disbelief.

 

"Measles and weasels! I'm sorry! My mind sometimes tends to fly like Skypelt's patches!"

 

Firepaw tilted his head in confusion, eyes squinting in bewilderment.

 

"Um, what?".

 

"Never mind that." The pretty molly raised and paws, licked in carefully, and drew it over her ear before saying, "May StarClan and the gods light your path, Flarepaw!".

 

She ducked her head back inside, to which Graypaw sighed.

 

"She's always been a strange sort..." The tabby remarked, "Never right in the head.".

 

Ashpaw glared at the gray apprentice, before assuring with a bit of hurt in his voice, "She's not so bad once you get to know her!".

 

Fernpaw giggled a bit.

 

"You argue with Graypaw, not unexpected. But the reason is that you want the rear end of the pretty medicine cat!".

 

Firepaw couldn't help but snicker as Ashpaw's ears flattened and he looked in a different direction out of embarrassment.

 

"C-come, guys, we have a tour to finish..." He stuttered, already padding away from the group.

 

"Hey! Wait for us!" Firepaw called out, nudging the other two apprentices, both of which were cackling at Fernpaw's little joke.

 

The next destination, it seemed, was a hollowed out fallen log, the inside eaten away. In the den rested threes cats, all of which had graying muzzles or many scars.

 

One of the cats, a pale gray tom, lifted his head, his green eyes flashing with interest.

 

"Well, well, well, the new recruit's finally getting to meet us!" He huffed, tail flicking about.

 

"Now, now, Smallear." A molly identical to him soothed, "He's likely been busy with training. Am I correct, little one?". She turned to face the ginger tomcat, and Firepaw soon realized she was waiting for a response.

 

"Yeah, he's been busier then a Big-Bark burying fifteen bones!" He jested.

 

"Watch your tongue, youngster." A dark brown tom growled, "Tigerclaw has been known to be a rather strict warrior. Let and him hear one of those remarks, an he'll surely make you do a moon's worth of cleaning our bedding.".

 

Firepaw took note inwardly, though outwardly he grumbled, "Sure then.".

 

The dark brown tom growled, "Don't say I haven't warned you. But I suppose cats from the Twoleg-Place can't comprehend punishment.".

 

Graypaw's eyes flashed between the two cats as they glared each other down.

 

"Umm, uh, maybe we should go, uh... I hear Ravenpaw's curious about you!".

 

Firepaw reluctantly followed, though he was certainly thankful when the arrived outside the den and the tension was dispelled from the air.

 

He followed the three back to the apprentices den, with Fernpaw pointing out the nursery and leader's den. Unfortunatly, she had to give the explainations on why they couldn't go in.

 

"The nursery is currently home to Frostfoot and her litter, but they're really young, and mothers get very protective of their kits when they're that old.".

 

"The leader's den is off limits to everyone but the leader and deputy. If we went in, then we wouldn't be able to eat for a whole day!".

 

The ginger tom cat nodded with keen interest, though he wasn't watching where he was going when he slammed in another feline.

 

The ginger tomcat shook himself and looked up to apologize, but stopped dead in his tracks when gazed into the face of the cat.

 

The cinnamon and white tom wore a sneer on his face, along with a mean glint in his eyes.

 

"Well then, I guess I finally get to meet the cat who beat up my brother.". The cat then shook it's head, saying, "No, wait, more like my older brother beat him!".

 

Firepaw growled under his breath, but other than that simply shouldered past the tom, making a beeline towards the apprnetice's den.

 

'I don't have to take this!'

 

"Aww, are you running away because I hwurt your feewings?".

 

"No," Firepaw called back, "I'm only walking away because I've seen enough meat-headed bullies in my life!".

 

He could hear the cinnamon and white tom growl behind him.

 

"Yeah?! Well, we like cats who don't act like a thorn is up their butt!".

 

Firepaw snorted, but continued on, hearing Fernpaw, Ashpaw, and Graypaw running up behind him.

 

Graypaw stepped in pace with his fellow apprentice, snickering, "Don't mind him, he's just what you said: A meat-head bully!".

 

"What's his name?".

 

"Heathpaw. He and his brother Dustpaw act like gifts from StarClan just because their parents are your mentor and the deputy!".

 

Firepaw blinked in surprise.

 

"Tigerclaw has kits?" He inquired, to which to Graypaw nodded.

 

"Huh...".

 

They finally reached the den, ducking under the overhanging bramble, and Ashpaw called out, "Ravenpaw!".

 

Only silence met his voice.

 

"Guess he's not in here." Ashpaw sighed.

 

"Eh. I kinda just want to sleep..." Firepaw's words were parted with a yawn.

 

"Oh.". Ashpaw's tail drooped dejectedly, "Okay, uh, see you tomorrow night.".

 

Firepaw nodded, and as soon as they left, flopped onto his nest and fell asleep almost instantly.


	6. Chapter six

Two nights later, Firepaw was once again in the Sandy Hollow. He was currently learning even more about hunting, though he felt it to be quite redundant by now.

 

'Honestly! I know how to hunt prey and-'

 

"Firepaw!". A paw bopped the young tom on the nose, snapping him back into attention. He looked at Tigerclaw, who was shaking his head.

 

"I saw the faraway look in your eye." He grunted, "I'm afraid this lesson is important, so none of that.".

 

As much as he wanted to tell his mentor off, it was no use. He tried last night, but all he got was a severe tongue-lashing.

 

'I hate it when old cats are right!'

 

"Now, young Firepaw. What is the difference between stalking a Squeak-Skitter and a Squeak-Hop?".

 

Oh. Perhaps that was what he meant by 'this lesson is important'. No wonder he lost a good chunk of his prey...

 

The young tom tilted his head in thought, eyes squinted.

 

When he heard Tigerclaw's paw tapping impatiently on the ground, he sheepishly looked over.

 

"Um, I don't know." Firepaw blurted.

 

The massive tabby muttered something under his breath, before padding over.

 

"Look, I'll demonstrate." He huffed, dropping into a crouch.

 

"You see, a Squeak-Skitter is very tiny, and therefore will be able to feel your pawsteps.". He slowly pulled himself along, paws barely touching the ground.

 

He then sat up and turned to face his apprentice.

 

"But, a Squeak-Hop, due to its bigger size, can't feel these vibrations. But, they can certainly scent and hear you.".

 

Firepaw nodded, intrigued.

 

'I never knew there was difference..'

 

"So, you must understand that for all prey, you must be downwind. As well as that, you must before very careful where you place your paws.".

 

He demonstrated again, and Firepaw nodded once more.

 

'Now these is the new things I was hoping to learn!'

 

Tigerclaw gazed over at his apprentice.

 

"Alright then," He began, "How about you try it for yourself? I want you to go to The Great Sycamore and catch at least one piece of prey but the time Moon-High.".

 

Firepaw perked up in excitement. He would finally be able to try it out instead of sitting in the hollow!

 

Almost as soon as the thought finished, he raced away, practically sprinting to his location.

 

'I can finally catch something! I can finally catch something!' He thought, repeating the phrase over and over in his head whenever he started to slow down.

 

When he finally reached the gigantic tree, the young apprentice skidded to a halt before he sat down.

 

Opening his mouth, the ginger tomcat sifted through the many scents of the forest. It wasn't until he he heard the small rustle of leaves when he finally caught a whiff of prey.

 

'Aha! A Squeak-Skitter!'

 

He dropped in a careful stalk, pulling each paw forward slowly, trying his hardest not the disturb a single leaf on the forest floor.

 

When he was finally in pouncing distance, he leaped into the air, only for his paws to find only empty air. Spitting out curses, the ginger tom cat whipped his head around and saw his Squeak-Skitter run into the bushes.

 

"Great. I'm gonna be be here longer than I need to!" Firepaw muttered. He then circled around the base of the tree, still intent on catching something to contribute.

 

...

 

After two more failed hunts, Firepaw had finally caught something: A scrawny black Chirp-Jump. While it certainly wasn't very impressive, it was enough to make Tigerclaw satisfied.

 

"Very good." He said curtly, "Now go back to camp. I have to join a border patrol.".

 

"What for?" Firepaw inquired, raising an eyebrow.

 

"There's been reports of RiverClan on our territory. I'd prefer we deal with the problem as soon as we can.".

 

"Oh.".

 

But just before Tigerclaw could leave, Firepaw suddenly blurted out, "Wait! Are Heathpaw and Dustpaw really your kits?".

 

Tigerclaw eyes flashed with pride, before saying, "Yes. I couldn't be happier for them.".

 

The big tabby tom walked away before he could say anything else, leaving Firepaw alone in the training hollow. The ginger didn't linger for long, though, and soon enough, he carrying his Chirp-Jump back to camp.

 

As he was trotting through the woods, he ran into the chest of another cat.

 

"Oh! I'm so orry!" The ginger tom cat apologized, but the cat, a black tom with a white chest, raised a paw.

 

"N-no need." He murmured, "It was my fault anyways.".

 

"Yeah, but I should have watched where I was going." Firepaw added.

 

A silence dragged on for a few minutes, before the black cat asked, "What's your name?".

 

"Firepaw".

 

"Oh, right!". The tom straightened himself and quickly grooming his chest fur.

 

"I should have recognized you from the last two days!".

 

"Who are you anyways?.".

 

"I'm- I'm Ravenpaw!".

 

Now it was Firepaw's turn to be surprised.

 

"So you're the one the others wanted me to meet?".

 

"I guess so...".

 

Ravenpaw then noticed his prey.

 

"That's a good bird..." He complemented while shifting uncomfortably.

 

"Eh, it's pretty scrawny." Firepaw muttered.

 

"I mean, yeah, but it's a pretty good catch for Leaf-Bare.".

 

Ravenpaw then asked, "Wanna share?".

 

"I'd love to, but the queens-".

 

"Don't worry. Fernpaw and Ashpaw have them covered. Prey pile's pretty full as well. I'm sure no one would mind.".

 

"Oh. Sure then.".

 

As Firepaw settled into he ground and took a quick bite, he started a quick conversation.

 

"So, uh, who are your parents?".

 

"Frostfoot and Patchpelt.".

 

"But isn't Patchpelt an elder?".

 

Ravenpaw nodded before saying, "He only mated with mother because she wanted kits.".

 

"Ah, okay.".

 

"Who are your parents?".

 

Firepaw froze as he thought it out, before replying, "I never knew dad, and my mom abandoned me and my sister pretty early on.".

 

"Oh dear!". Ravenpaw ducked his head. "I'm so sorry!".

 

"What for? Mother simply couldn't take care of us.".

 

"Well, you do have a point...".

 

Firepaw then remebered another question he was wanting to ask.

 

"Hey, who's Forestclaw?" He inquired. Ravenpaw spat out his food.

 

"You mean Tigercflaw never told you!?" He said, his eyes wide.

 

"Uh, is it important?".

 

"Yes! Forestclaw created the land we're walking on right now!" He snapped, before sheepishly apologizing.

 

"Uh, sorry. Do you mind a long story about him?".

 

Firepaw shook his head, and Ravenpaw cleared his throat.


	7. Chapter seven

"So, a long, long time ago, the forest was just an empty land. And occupying that land were great beasts, bigger than the biggest Big-Barks, and meaner too.".

 

"But unlike Big-Barks, these things were cat-like. There were cheetahs in the moorland, lions in the forest, tigers in the marsh, and leopards by the river. There were also cats like me and you, but... uh... they were hunted a lot by the beasts. They were also much weaker and more frightened compared to us.".

 

Firepaw could almost snicker at how Ravenpaw's demeanor shifted as soon as he began telling the story, but he held his tongue and nodded for him the continue.

 

"But among them lived four special giants. These ones were meek and polite, not at all like the savages most of their clanmates were. And being very thoughtful, they felt sorry for the cats' predicament. But, being thoughtful was their weakness, and they were thrown out. Soon they began to hate their clans. So one night on a Quarter-Moon, they all gathered at the Four-Trees, and held a meeting.".

 

"'I believe we all know why we're here.' Forestswipe, the lion, spoke.".

 

"'Indeed. We need to find out how work out an arrangement.' Skypelt, the representative from the leopard clan, spoke.".

 

"'But the trouble is,' Marshfoot, a tiger, broke in, 'That the cats won't listen to us, and we're considered enemies to our clans.'.".

 

"Finally, Swiftfoot, a warrior from the Cheetahs', spoke: "Perhaps we could go to the cave beyond my clan's territory. I have found a glowing stone in a cavern, illuminated by the moonlight. I spoke with my mother there, and she granted me the power to walk in dreams. I was thinking we could visit the cat's dreams and convince them there.". The other three nodded in agreement, and decided to meet at the half moon.".

 

"And so, when they came into the cavern we know as the Moon-Stone today, they were luckily able to explain their situation, and even managed to convince a few cats to meet them there in the next two days. And the cats did. The leader stepped forth.".

 

"'Are you sure this plan will work?' He spoke, his voice raspy and aging. Forestswipe informed: "There's no guarantee, but we have to try.". They all nodded and started to plan. And while planning, many mated with the giants, and sure enough, a new race of cats were created. They had the patterns of the giants and strength, but also the senses and speed of the cats.".

 

"Soon there were too many cats in the cave, and on a full moon night, they decided to confront the clans in a gathering of sorts. The four exilees lured them our to the Four-Trees, and gave their speech. But when they gave their proposal to share, the leaders simply laughed.".

 

Ravenpaw paused to take a breath, before continuing.

 

"'You really expect us to hand over our land!?' The tiger leader boomed, 'Think again!'. Then, all four leader let out a battle cry to their giants, and they all attacked.".

 

Firepaw nodded, truly intrigued by this story.

 

"It was a bloody battle. Many were lost that night, including the weaker race of cats. But in the midst of the chaos, the battle was turning. The four and their army were winning. And soon, all that was left were bloody bodies of he giant's clans, the four, and the new race.".

 

"'We've won...'. Skypelt whispered. And soon enough, the night was spent in celebration, before they buried the bodies in the morning. They took a certain amout of cats and headed off to their clans' camps, giving the queens and kits there a chance to live and intermingle with the new race of our kind. They meet every full moon to speak peacefully of news, and at the half moon, the medicine cats would meet at the Moon-Stone as it was called, to share with StarClan, a place where good cats go when they die.".

 

"Where do the bad cats go?" Firepaw inquired.

 

"To a void of darkness and despair, where they will be tormented with their crimes until they are forgotten.".

 

As Ravenpaw wrapped up his story, Firepaw stood up to his paws.

 

"Great story, Ravenpaw!" He congratulated.

 

The black tom jumped in the air, seemingly forgetting he had an audience. Turning around and swallowing, he said, "Uh, yeah. I mean- it's the only thing I'm confident in.".

 

"Well that's a good thing, right?".

 

The black tom nodded sheepishly.

 

"I-I suppose.".

 

"Hey you two!". Both toms looked up to find a tortoiseshell tom there.

 

"Everyone's getting settled in the sleep. You better come if you don't want to miss it." The tom said, his voice rough but not unkind.

 

"O-oh! Sorry Redtail!". Ravenpaw nudged his companion onto his paws, and they followed Redtail as Firepaw thought about the story he had heard.


	8. Chapter eight

It had been a week since the story Ravenpaw had told had settled into clan life well, often choosing to spend the last few hours of moonlight with Fernpaw, Ashpaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw.

 

As well as that, Firepaw had been on many hunting patrols, and while he was thankful that his skills were improving in that field, he was getting tired of going back to the hollow everyday and being told that they would focus on hunting.

 

Finally, on a surprisingly warm evening, Tigerclaw announced they would learn to fight, and that Graypaw and Lionheart would be joining them. Firepaw's blood was pumping as he reached the sandy hollow, and his tail couldn't keep still.

 

As they entered, Tigerclaw explained the practice.

 

"Today we'll learn how to dodge an opponent, and then how to get in a few quick swipes of your own. You and Graypaw will practice the move we show you, so I expect you to pay attention to what I teach you.".

 

Firepaw nodded, his claw sheathed and unsheathing on the ground. Their glint caught the remaining sunlight, and Tigerclaw shook his head.

 

"No claws, Firepaw." The big warrior rumbled, "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, we're not savages. It's against the warrior code to to kill.".

 

"Oh.". Firepaw quickly sheathed his claws, fur growing hot with embarrassment. He glanced over at the other side of the hollow, and saw Lionheart and Graypaw. Graypaw smiled at him and waved his tail, while Lionheart dipped his head in greeting and stood up.

 

"Now that we are all here," He announced, "I believe we can start the demonstration.".

 

Tigerclaw murmured agreement, and stepped forward, leaving his apprentice behind. Firepaw squinted his eyes, deeply focusing on the two older cats.

 

"Tigerclaw will be the enemy warrior, and we'll practice dodging and swiping.".

 

Tigerclaw crouched, wriggling his haunches before leaping. It looked almost as if he would pin the golden warrior down, but at the last second, Lionheart dodged, leaving his peer crashed into the ground.

 

In the moment Tigerclaw was gathering his senses, Lionheart struck, swiping Tigerclaw's head and knocking his legs out from underneath. The giant tabby mock-snarled and launched himself at the golden tom, this time actually pinning him down.

 

Tigerclaw dragged his paws along Lionheart's face, pretending to be splitting open his cheek. Said tom retaliated by kicking the big tom off him, causing Tigerclaw to crash into the ground.

 

Firepaw and Graypaw leaned in with intensely interested looks in their eyes, and Firepaw could feel Graypaw's tail jumping around with excitement.

 

Finally, Lionheart pretended to bite Tigerclaw's ear, to which the massive tom got up and shook him off, before running a few steps towards the entrance, acting like he was fleeing.

 

"And that, apprentices, was our demonstration. Any questions?" Lionheart said, shaking the dust out of his fur, while Tigerclaw padded over to where hi friend was standing.

 

While Graypaw shook his head, Firepaw had many buzzing around his head, so he asked, "For the first move, how'd you avoid Tigerclaw?".

 

Lionheart smirked a bit, the pride evident in his eyes and voice as he spoke:

 

"It's an old ThunderClan move called the Dizzy Dodge." He explained, "We use it to dodge our opponents at the last minute, letting them crash into the ground, while we buy time to strike.".

 

Firepaw nodded, before asking, "What do you do if your opponent tries to kill you?".

 

Lionheart, Graypaw, and Tigerclaw shared look, before Tigerclaw said, "Like I said earlier, it's against our rules to kill. If they try to kill you, they are breaking tradition.".

 

Firepaw nodded in understanding, before Tigerclaw quickly announced, "Alright apprentice, you can battle. You don't have to use as complicated moves as you've see in me and Lionheart's battle, but you are allowed to if you want.".

 

The two apprentice nodded before stepping out into the middle of the clearing, tails thrashing with poorly concealed glee. Graypaw turned to Firepaw, clearly about to ask something, but he was rammed into by said peer.

 

Firepaw stood over Graypaw, pretending to claw him. But then Graypaw raked his paws over the ginger tom's belly, making Firepaw stumble back. Just as he had regained his bearing, Graypaw leaped at him, bowling his friend over.

 

...

 

They continued like that for most of the day. Firepaw was quick, though he often got distracted, while Graypaw was strong yet slower.

 

Eventually, Tigerclaw called it a day, sending the two back to camp.

 

"You were pretty good back there." Graypaw complimented. Firepaw was surprised that he seemed energetic after such a practice, while it was a challenge for Firepaw to even walk.

 

"You... you too..." He panted, to which Graypaw adopted a worried look.

 

"Hey, you okay? Sorry for beating you up back there.".

 

"It's fine. I needed the challenge.".

 

The rest of the walk was silent. When they reached camp, the prey pile was desecrated, only a few Squeak-Skitters and a plump Chirp-Jump were left.

 

The two apprentices approached the pile, with Graypaw grabbing the Chirp-Jump and Firepaw clamping his jaws around two Squeak-Skitters.

 

They looked around and spotted their friend over by the apprnetice's den and walked over to them. Fernpaw, her mouth full of Squeak-Hop flesh, greeted them cheerfully. Ashpaw looked between the two new arrivals (Both of whom were panting and licking sore spots) and asked, "Let me guess, battle practice?".

 

Firepaw nodded dully, simply wanting to eat his Squeakers in peace. Graypaw explained the training in detail, to the other's interest.

 

"You two are lucky." Ashpaw finally said, "To have the two best warriors as your mentors.".

 

"Well, I think you guys are even more lucky!" Graypaw argued, "You have the leader and Whitepool as your mentors!".

 

"... I guess..." Ashpaw finally relented, settled back into his meal.

 

"What's so big about Whitepool?" Firepaw asked, to which Fernpaw, Ashpaw, and Graypaw turned to him with wide eyes. Before any of them could speak though, Ravenpaw piped up.

 

"Well, Whitepool is Bluestar's nephew, which means he's even more important than Tigerclaw and Lionheart. He was called on for lots of important missions when Redtail was taking care of Heathpaw and Dustpaw, and he also gets special privileges because he's related to a leader.".

 

"Oh. Sorry." Firepaw apologized sheepishly.

 

"What for? You didn't know!".

 

"Yeah, you're right.".

 

Firepaw continued to eat his meal in silence, but couldn't help but wonder if Whitepool was anything like Bluestar.


	9. Chapter Nine

Firepaw was relaxing back at camp a day later, enjoying the moonlight with Ravenpaw and Graypaw while the other apprentices were still training. He had been dismissed from training after a rigorous day of hunting and mock battles. After getting a scratch on his eyelid from fighting Heathpaw (who between you and me, seemed far too eager about hurting Firepaw), Tigerclaw had dismissed his apprentice for the rest of the day.

 

Firepaw shivered as he recalled Spottedleaf’s strange behavior once he entered the medicine den.

 

_“Ah, Flamepaw! Good to see you!”_

_“Er, it’s Firepaw, ma’am.”_

_“No, no, you are look more like a flame than an inferno! After all... fire can destroy, but the flame will bring the clans to peace!”_

_“... what...?”_

 

The ginger apprentice still didn’t know what she meant. He resolved to make sure he was hurt as little as possible to stay far away from the insane medicine cat.

 

_‘I wonder what Bluestar was thinking, appointing her as medicine cat?’_

 

And then, almost as if she had been summoned, Bluestar walked up to him, her eyes as cold and emotionless as ever. The two other toms beside Firepaw stopped what they were doing to bow.

 

The ginger apprentice, though he hadn’t been here for long, bowed as well, getting the feeling it was something he’ have to do a lot in Bluestar’s presence.

 

“At ease, toms.” The molly meowed, her whiskers twitching in amusement as they scrambled to their feet, “I have important news to share you.”

 

“Last moon, Brokenstar rose to power suddenly and unexpectedly.” She recounted, “I understand you haven’t been on many border patrols, but he has been pushing against our borders as well as WindClan’s.”

 

Graypaw growled and kneaded his paws on the sandy ground, while Ravenpaw whimpered and crouched lower. Firepaw blinked in confusion.

 

“ I don’t want anything drastic to happen tonight. So, to show ShadowClan they are no match for us, I’m bringing all of the apprentices and many warriors too.”

 

All three apprentices perked up. Bluestar nodded, a faint grin on her face.

 

“Make sure to alert your fellow apprentices as well.” She meowed, before walking away to talk to the senior warriors. Graypaw turned to his friends, an excited look on his face.

 

“The gathering, guys!” He cheered, “We get to go to the gathering! I _must_ be dreaming!”

 

“Calm down, for, uh, StarClan’s sake!” Firepaw chuckled, hesitating at the word ‘StarClan’.

 

StarClan was still a foreign concept to the young tom. The night sky was home to his dead ancestors? He wasn’t sure if he believed in them or not.

 

“What’s the badger squealing about again?” Came an annoying voice. Firepaw shook his head off his thoughts and blew air through his nose. Looks like Heathpaw and Dustpaw came back from patrol.

 

“Yeah, what’s happening?” Dustpaw chimed in with his brother. Graypaw strutted over to the duo, his tail held high.

 

“All the apprentices get to go to the gathering!” He said happily, to the delight of Dustpaw and annoyance of Heathpaw.

 

“You mean we have to sit by you mousebrains?” Heathpaw grumbled, “No way! Bluestar _must_ have been mistaken!”

 

“Actually,” Ravenpaw explained, “B-Bluestar came up to us to share the news...”

 

“She _what?!”_

 

Firepaw chortled at Heathpaw’s dropped jaw and Dustpaw’s surprised look. The other three apprentices left the conversation at that, leaving the two older toms dumbfounded.

 

...

 

Later that night, Firepaw was grooming himself in preparation for the gathering. Around him, the other apprentices were pacing are chatting excitedly, nervous energy seemingly fizzling beneath their coats.

 

Firepaw laid down and set his head on his paws, his gaze flicking across camp. He noticed the warriors seemed quite excited as well, most of them huddled in small groups and talking nervously to one another.

 

The ginger tabby tom blinked heaved himself to his paws when he caught sight of Bluestar, who was trotting to the exit.

 

The gray molly let out a wordless yowl, to which the warriors and prentices chosen leapt to their feet and ran through the exit, Bluestar leading the way.

 

Firepaw was in the back, his strides taking him further and further while Graypaw and Ravenpaw appeared to be tiring out. The ginger tabby tom snorted.

 

_‘Well, at least they’ve never had to run half-way across the city to escape from BloodClan!’_

 

Firepaw slowed a bit thinking of that clan, which he hadn’t thought about in a long while. Were they still looking for him? Would they come to the forest to demand payment?

 

 _‘No’_ He thought, _‘I have a clan to back me up. I’m sure they’d defend me!’_

 

_‘But then again, you’ve only been here for a little bit, and you haven’t made the bet impression. If BloodClan does come, they’ll be happy to give you up!’_

_‘Then I’ll work harder!’_ He thought fiercely, _‘I’ll be such an amazing warrior, they’ll_ have _to defend me!’_

 

Finally, Bluestar raised her tail for the warriors to stop, with Firepaw crashing into Heathpaw’s haunches. The cinnamon tom hissed, but before he could speak, Bluestar announced loudly, “Alright, warriors. Keep an eye out for ShadowClan, and don’t give away our secrets.”

 

And with that, she led the way down the hollow. The ginger tom’s breath was taken away as he gazed around the clearing. The full moon shone brightly, illuminating the forest floor and the four trees surrounding it. Said trees were massive, at least fifty years old, and their branches looked as if they scraped the very sky.

 

Firepaw was distracted enough the he didn’t notice he was approaching cats until a molly hissed at him. Snapping out of his trance, he turned his head to see a plump molly, and skinny tom, and muscular tom staring at him.

 

“Who are you?” The skinny brown tabby inquired.

 

“I’m Firepaw of ThunderClan.” He replied.

 

The silver molly squinted.

 

“You look awfully skinny for ThunderClan... are you a loner?” She asked. Firepaw bit back a sarcastic retort.

 

“Er, recently yeah. But not anymore.” Firepaw simply said. The muscular gray tom blinked with surprise, ears pricked.

 

“Wait, ThunderClan _is_ taking in loners?!” He exclaimed with shock, “I thought the stories were just rumors!”

 

“Nope! He’s our third cat!” Came Graypaw’s voice. All four apprentices whipped around the see the gray tom trotting up to them, Ravenpaw in tow. The silver molly snickered.

 

“So the proudest clan now desperate enough to take the riff raff in?! And I thought I’d never see the day that happened!” She cackled, but there didn’t seem to be malice her voice. However, Graypaw still bristled.

 

“N-no, leaf-bare was just...  little harsh, th-that’s all!” Graypaw spat. The silver molly coughed and stood up.

 

“Take it easy! She was joking.” The brown tabby muttered, before Silverpaw shook herself.

 

“Anyways, I’m Silverpaw!” She introduced herself, “And that-” She pointed at the brown tabby, “Was Wrenpaw.”

 

“And I’m Drizzlepaw!” The other tom exclaimed, “And I’m gonna be the best warrior in ShadowClan ever!”

 

Wrenpaw grunted in response before a loud, wordless yowl split the air, silencing all cats. Firepaw dragged his gaze to the rocky ledge where the yowl came from. He noticed along with Bluestar, three other cats were perched there, staring down at the clans.

 

 _‘They must be the leaders.’_ He realized with a start.

 

“Cats of all clans!” A tall black and white tom announced, “We welcome you all to tonight’s gathering.”

 

He shot a glare at a huge ginger and white tom with a kinked tail, who cleared his throat.

 

“Is there something you want to share with us, Brokenstar?” The tall leader suddenly growled, his claws scraping against the stone.

 

Brokenstar nodded and stood up, his gaze sweeping across the clan cats.

 

“Cats of all clans.” He said in a raspy voice, “We all know this last Leaf-Bare has been harsh. We have lost many warriors to the cold, even with our rivers, frozen as they are. We’ve all suffered from lack of prey and herbs, that much is clear.”

 

The tom’s dead-eyed gaze swept the clearing once more, pausing for effect, before he cleared his throat and declared, “So, my friends, that is why I am going to offer you a proposal! Join ShadowClan in an alliance, or refuse and starve!”

 

Outraged yowls burst out from the other cats, even a few RiverClan cats were protesting. Firepaw could notice Silverpaw was sitting with wide eyes as Drizzlepaw and Wrenpaw gaze her dirty looks.

 

“Outrageous!” The black and white tom snarled, leaping to Brokenstar so they were face to face, “How dare you propose such a thing! The clans have gotten along just fine without needing alliances!”

 

Bluestar nodded sagely, her eyes narrowed to slits.

 

“Tallstar is right, Brokenstar.” She said in a steady voice, “We mustn’t let this happen; the four clans are separate for a reason, after all.”

“Oh? And how many cats died this Leaf-Bare? How many cats will die from your stubborn refusal, mm? Some leader you are!” Brokenstar smoothly taunted. Buestar’s hackles rose and her claws dug into the ground.

 

“Listen here, you little upstart!” She spat, “You can’t act as if you’re StarCan’s gift to the clans! You are purposefully-”

 

“Gabber on all you want, but I want answers!” Brokenstar hissed slamming a paw down, “Now!”

 

“No!” Both Tallstar and Bluestar yowled, making Brokenstar’s eyes narrow.

 

“Then perish.” He muttered darkly, before turning to a ginger molly on the ledge who was looking thoughtful.

 

“Rowanstar, how about you?” He inquired. The molly looked him over and sighed.

 

“Our clan has lost many members to sickness and starvation...” She muttered, “If you allow us to hunt on your territory, then our territory is open for you.”

 

Brokenstar smirk as the other two leaders looked shocked.

 

“I’m glad we agree...” He murmured, before leaping off the ledge and leading his warriors away. Rowanstar and Tallstar followed soon after, and soon, only ThunderClan was left.

 

Firepaw blinked and stared at his paws, still trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

 

Clearly, ThunderClan had a bit of trouble of their own, and they weren't as safe as he thought...


End file.
